


The Outbreak of War

by whitey11



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, Hetalia Countries Using Human Names, Historical Hetalia, Other, Sad, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22345288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitey11/pseuds/whitey11
Summary: When America first arrives on Omaha beach, June 6th 1944, he doesn't exactly know what he's there for. To defeat Germany once and for all? To waste his men's lives? But as the battle deems itself hopeless, a new light shines through and he discovers the truth.* I didn't add it as a warning, but there are descriptions of violence and death
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	The Outbreak of War

The ship rocked as it sat on the high tide, clearly visible from the sandy shore ahead, and even more visible by the Germans behind the concrete wall above the cove. Their specially designed machine guns nestled comfortably in the firing holes, ready to shoot at any moment. It was only a matter of time before they'd be raining down on the Americans.

Alfred hit the base of his helmet, screwing it on tight. It barely fit on his head, but he'd been ordered to wear it no matter what. Arthur would have a go at him if he came home with a bullet in his forehead. ‘Geez, that'd be funny,’ Alfred chuckled to himself softly. The soldier beside him glared with bewilderment. It was uncommon to laugh anymore, and even after the hearty meal they had all been gifted with only a few hours ago, every soldier was mostly prepared for the worst.

The fat-filled brunch hadn't exactly helped them though. With the unfortunate high tide and rolling waves, many of Alfred's men were rapidly becoming seasick into their helmets or over the side of the boat. He frowned. ‘How are we supposed to fight with awful stomachs?’ Alfred himself hadn't allowed himself to eat that much before battle, and just shared an optimistic chocolate bar with his brother. He hoped his soldiers could stomach it and fight alongside him, or the whole invasion might've been useless. It was winning all the beaches or none to win this one.

The LVCP approached low water. One by one, the soldiers beside Alfred shifted into position, and he copied. The landing craft was about to land. Clutching his rifle tight, he closed his eyes in a wish. His family came to mind. ‘We can do this. Stay safe, guys. I'll see you soon.’ he opened his eyes before adding, ‘I'll make you proud, dad.’

The gunshots began.

Missiles soared over their head, rumbling in their ears, as they scrambled desperately from the boat. But with thirty-six troops on board, and the Germans having pinpoint accuracy of their position, it was becoming more and more obvious that there was already no hope for the First Wave. Already, soldiers lay unmoving on the sand. Already, blood spilled across the beach. Already, soldiers surrendered into the water below. The bullets were just too fast and too many in number.

Alfred barely thought. He stood up and volted over the side without hesitation. Before he knew it, ice-cold water struck him like lightning. Air was driven from his body as he frantically swam upwards, fighting the gear that pulled him down. God, he was glad he hadn't had that breakfast.

As he battled to the surface, soldiers around him sunk, their limbs flailing as they were dragged into the depths. Their sick stomachs drowned them beneath the thundering waves. Alfred felt like he needed a moment to mourn — he could feel the throb of his chest as lives were lost below the sea and on the shore — but he wouldn't have a chance for that. No, he wanted to fight to avenge their lives. It was a natural instinct, even when a single life was taken.

Finally, he broke to the surface, coughing up the seawater that burned his lungs. He kept his head low as gunshots raged around him, careful to balance his weight against the current.

The Germans' guns were designed to fire 1500 rounds a minute. Luckily for Alfred, their speed and force was delayed every second after they were fired, and the bullets were utterly useless once they hit the water. Well, if you were lucky. If you were within a yard of one of the bullets, you were in serious danger.

The American swam inshore, keeping low and off to the side. If he avoided where the boat had landed, he might not be as visible to the Germans above. He crept across the open ground, hiding behind the bodies of those that had attempted, and failed, the same tactic as Alfred. They would shield him if he was acknowledged, but it was devastating to cower under those who had lost their lives. Crawling from casualty to casualty, he shuffled through the sand, covering himself in it as an extra disguise. When he was close enough to the line of barbed wire, where he spotted his fellow soldiers hiding, he realized there was only one choice: he had to make a break for it.

Stumbling from the ground, he sprinted.

Slash.

He staggered, but pushed on until his legs collapsed beneath him and he fell. “Alfie! Alfred, you alright? Hey, can you hear me?-”

It was a little while before Alfred gained consciousness, and when he did, his men were beside him. Their hands trembled with terror. Their eyes were wide with pure fear. Their forms were surrounded by lost lives, their only use as bullet-stoppers now. 

His ankle was quickly numbing as it bled; Alfred could feel the broken bone. ‘Holy shit, this hurts like hell. Why does it hurt so much? I swear my broken arms didn't hurt this much? God, it hurts!’ He hugged his legs closer to his chest.

Despite himself, tears welled up in his eyes, but he forced them away. He was strong. He had to be strong. Glancing over at one of the troops beside him, he noticed the man's eyes glassy with pain too. But this wasn't physical pain he saw, it was mental.

Alfred followed the man's gaze. His eyes focused on the hundreds upon hundreds of corpses splayed across the cove. All these men, brave, good-hearted, men. He looked past them to the sitting ducks in the distance that were the Second and Third Waves. The seas were now too rough for them to come anywhere near the shore. Even from afar, he felt their guilt and sorrow. They were able to see the lifeless people. They couldn't do anything to help the few that were still alive and waiting, hoping, for backup.

This time Alfred couldn't force away the tears. Sobs broke from the men beside him, too.

“Mum!” one of them cried, his voice cracking in determination. Water stained his face as he stood, fired up at the wall, and choked as a bullet sliced his throat. He dropped dead amongst the sand. In a matter of seconds, he became just another record of the deaths on this beach.

Alfred watched as one of the Germans crashed to the ground inside the defence. He looked back at the dead man. ‘I wish you could've seen that, brave soul. I hope you rest in peace; and your mother too. She'd be proud of you.’ He remembered the man with a small smile.

‘He said “mum”. I really hope Arthur and Francis are okay. Matthew, too.’ Alfred thought worriedly. ‘Wait. I'm doing this for them — my family. Yes! That's why I'm here! Oh dear God, I'll make you proud!’

And with that, Alfred stood. “Come on, men! Let's do this! For your families! For America! For the Allies! For the world!” he yelled, darting for the hill that lead up to the German wall. Tears flew from his cheeks.

‘Even if I don't come back, this is for you.’

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hoped you liked this! It was just a little idea I came up with after hearing in a documentary on Omaha beach about the Americans crying out for their mothers, and I couldn't think of anything but the FACE family.
> 
> That's all I have to say about this to be honest, thanks for reading!
> 
> If you stick around for long enough on my page, I'll eventually be posting a 7-8 chapter long Hetalia fanfiction based on a zombie apocalypse AU. It's taking a long time to write (I've been working on it since July 2019), but it should definitely be out by this year! I may start posting the first few chapters soon as well. <3


End file.
